It is near dark by the time Hian stops on the crest of a hill, a small village in the distance. "All right," she says, "here's where I planned to stop tonight. I'll find space on the tavern floor. But you -" "I will meet you here tomorrow morning," Inric says, clearly no more keen to spend a night on a strange inn floor than she is to invite him along. She nods, relieved. "Good enough." She watches as he walks out of sight, then something catches her eye and she stops in horror. "Nikhil!"